This went through a few changes as I wrote it…
3 Months Ago – Max & Lucas
He grinned at her in the empty and closed bar. "Of all the bars, in all the places, you had to wander into mine, Darlin. Drink?"
Max smiled back at him, holding up her half finished beer. "It's past last call."
"Who are you? A cop?"
She giggled at that, as he took her warm drink. "I left my badge at home."
He tossed her a rag. "Help me lock up?"
She caught it and started wiping down tables…oh he looks good. Jeans, a snug red Henley, that smile…the teasing look in his eyes, those hands…oh I love looking at him. Her gaze flicking up to his. Those dark eyes, his chocolate skin with the midnight shadow creeping in, and that smile. Luc. "Are you putting me to work?"
Damn, he thought, drinking her in. She looks good…tight jeans, boots, some tiered and flowy top, all that red hair and that smile. "Consider it my tip."
She tossed her hair back, as she wiped down the bar at that. "How are you, Lucas?"
"I'm always good when I get a surprise visit. You look good, Darlin…did you have fun?"
She smiled at the familiar nickname and their comfortable closeness. "Yeah."
"You drunk?"
"Nah. Not sober…but not drunk."
Present – The Lacos House
It is weird, she thought, running her hand over her slightly expanded stomach. I'm growing a person in me. I helped make a person. Gulping a bit at the silent house, he's sleeping it off somewhere. Am I horrible to be glad he isn't here? That I don't have to have rough sex and be called a whore because…I cheated. It was wrong…Luc and me it was never a soiled and dirty thing. Don't make excuses, Max, you cheated on your husband and got pregnant. He still doesn't get to bruise me, she thought, looking at the purple fingermarks…or call me a whore again. Jumping a bit at the doorbell, she frowned at the cruiser in the driveway. Kenny, she thought, no…focus, Max, focus.
3 Months Ago – Max & Lucas
"I'm clean, Darlin."
She nodded, drinking her water. "Why do you still work in a bar? It's not hard?"
"Booze was never my problem. I don't use or sell. I remember how you looked at me, you didn't have to say anything, it was all over your face…your adorable face. Judgment…you were judging me and…I hated it. You grew up and I didn't."
She looked at their intertwined fingers on the bar. "You were better than that…Lucas, you could have done anything."
"Wrong side of the tracks. I got into that high school for track. I did okay in class. Meeting you there? Best part. Yeah, I do wonder…if my mom hadn't got sick, dad didn't lose his job and…
"You took care of them."
"You were okay with me dealing drugs, Officer?"
She grinned back at him. "Deputy."
"Like the wild west?"
"You should see the hat," she trailed off. "No, I was never okay with the drugs…the weed was the weed, but…I have a trust fund…I could have helped. I wanted to and it had nothing to do with pity or…I loved you, Luc."
He kissed her their joined hands before looking at her. "You're still the only one who calls me Luc. I wasn't taking the money. I made it work, I had my detours…but I'm good. Better than good right now."
Her gaze flicked back up to him. I get lost in those dark eyes of his…I always drowned in them. What am I doing? Luc. That smile, his gentle hands on my butt right now…too much tequila and my first love. My Luc… Oh, I shouldn't. Stop, Max, stop…you can't do this. Kenny won't ever know…oh, damn me. "Me too."
She's married, he thought, my Max. Happily married…ah, I don't care. We were always good at this. Smiling as she kissed him, as he pressed her up against the bar. Ah, we're good at this…His fingers tangling in her hair, he deepened the kiss as she wrapped her arms around him. Breaking apart, they just looked at each other for a long moment. "Come upstairs with me, Tequila-Breath."
She pressed her lips to his again, slipping her hands into his jeans. Just tonight. Me and Luc. "Okay."
"Just okay?" he teased, as they melted into each other's arms. Married, she's not acting like it…we shouldn't…I never stopped loving her. Kissing her again, she burst into giggles as he swept her off her feet. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she kissed him again, as he carried her the stairs to his bed.
Present – Sheriff Station
At least he isn't glaring at me, she thought, Jimmy has been like a father to me. I couldn't take that. Kenny, he…he wouldn't have done this if I hadn't. "Has he sobered up?"
"He's asking for you. Max," Jimmy said, just watching her. "What's going on?"
Broke Lucas' nose? Luc who texted me from the hospital telling me to stay safe. That my husband was a lunatic. "Does he need a lawyer?"
"How do you know Lucas Cooper?"
"Does Kenny need a lawyer?"
What is she doing? "Max, you need to answer these questions."
"Do I need a lawyer then? Can I see my husband?"
"He's a white cop who beat a black man unprovoked. It's on video. It's on the news. Max, tell me what happened."
She sat back at that. "I'm here as Kenny's wife and I want to see him."
What is going on here, Jimmy thought, who is Lucas Cooper? Kenny is going on and on about how Lucas Cooper raped her. She didn't flinch at the name, but there is something. "Come with me, Max."
12 Years Ago – Max & Lucas
Max turned the pill bag over in her hands. "Luc."
"You know you're really sexy looking right now?" he teased, looking at her in nothing but her underwear and camisole holding his stash. "It's not forever."
"Where did you get these?"
"Max, forget it."
She didn't take her eyes off him as he took the bag and put it back under the floor boards before taking her hands in his again. "The bar doesn't pay well and you aren't giving me a cent."
"Luc, I can help."
"How about you let me take care of you, Darlin?"
She looked up at him, his warm and teasing eyes hiding his hurt and stress. "We always took care of each other."
She's meant for better things. Not for me. No…she would stay. If I asked her too…if I asked her again. Marry her. I've wanted to marry her since I first saw her playing soccer…that beautiful redhead. She smiled at me, that flirty smile…she was the first person in that school that was ever nice to me. She didn't even flinch when I took her a school bus that served hamburgers for our first date. Or when I kissed her under the bleachers. Or I couldn't afford to buy her a corsage for the freshman dance. She never made me feel badly about who I am or where I came from and I love her more than I want to admit to her or me. I have to let her go. "We got to grow up, Maxine."
"You never call me that."
He kissed her forehead and let her go. "I'll miss you."
Present – Sheriff Station
I don't even know what to say, Max thought, as she and Kenny just looked at each other in the interrogation room. This is my fault, I drove him to this. I promised I'd love him forever and instead…I do love him. "Hi."
He looked at her for a long moment. "Where have you been, Max?"
"Pregnancy has it's perks. No one wanted to wake me up in the middle of night to tell be my husband was arrested for assault."
"I beat the shit out of your lover."
"We do stupid stuff when we're drunk."
He looked at her a long time with that. "Are you really with me on this? I need to know, Max, if you'll back me up. I know it's all over the news."
"I saw it," she said quietly. Lucas falling, the blood, how Kenny kept…no. He has that violent streak and…Luc has always had a gentle and loving…He fought back. Wincing a bit at Kenny's black eye. "He got in a few blows. You didn't have to…he's here because of the baby. Nothing more."
"You couldn't consent. You said you were drunk."
She froze at that. No, he can't…no. That's why Luc asked me. "What?"
"You were drunk and he took advantage of you."
She pulled her hand out of his. I was drinking, but I knew…I remember our talk in the bar before we had sex that night…and the two days afterwards. "No."
"You want me to go to jail? Lose my job? You need to say it. You need to make that statement."
"That's not what happened."
"You said you were drunk."
Shots, so many shots, she thought, dancing, laughing, we kept looking at each other. I was flirting without saying a word. Like a freaking magnet I'm drawn to Lucas...and we just looked at each other all night, the way he smiled at me, how warm he made me feel. "I was drinking, celebrating, having fun with my sister and her friends."
"He raped you."
She flinched at that. No. I can't…not even for Kenny. He wants to fix us. He wanted to pretend the baby was his and now this. He's trying in a messed up way. The wrong way. "I won't ruin his life."
"Like you ruined mine?"
"He didn't rape me," she said softly. "I had some drinks, I sobered up…we talked, caught up and…we kissed and…"
"He raped you. That's what I'm telling Wambaugh. Your call now."
It's over, she thought, I ruined us…we're at this point because of me. It doesn't give him the right to do this though. "You can go to hell."
19 Years Ago – Max & Lucas
Oh, him, Max thought, her soccer cleats dangling in her hand, everything else forgotten as they collided in the hallway. "Oh, I'm so sorry."
Wow, Lucas thought, wow. Her. That really pretty girl from the hallway… "No, my fault. Hi."
She smiled back at him, very aware of her muddy shorts and t-shirt. I saw him in the hallway the first day. Running cross country. They said he was a scholarship kid and laughed at his shoes…my friends suck. "Hi."
"We have biology together."
She nodded, as he helped her pick up her stuff. "Yeah. You're new? You weren't in the middle school."
"Nah, I was in public school. I'm a townie. I'm Lucas."
"Max," she said, as they fell into step next to each other. "You're on track?"
"And cross country. I'm not good at ball sports."
She broke into a grin at that. He's cute. "I saw you running."
I see you, he thought, girls like this don't go for…she's a rich kid. One of the ones who…I've seen her with the popular kids. The rich kids. "Hey, do you have a lab partner yet?"
She shook her head. "Do you want to dissect frogs with me?"
"You're not one of the ones protesting to get out of it? Claiming it is too traumatic?"
"It's a frog, Luc."
He smiled back at her. Feisty, he thought, she called me Luc. "You in?"
She grinned back at him. "I'm so in."
Present – Sheriff Station
"Lucas Cooper isn't pressing charges," Jimmy said, looking at Kenny and Wambaugh in the interrogation room together. "How do you know him?"
"He got Max drunk and raped her in Vermont. And he is here to do it again. Why hasn't he been arrested?"
Jimmy stepped back at that. Kenny beat him…he showed no mercy. Broke his nose and Cooper fought back. Cooper who asked me if Max was okay after he got his nose broken…if he hurt her too. "Max was intimate with him?"
"He forced her."
Her pregnancy, Jimmy thought, the timeline fits. "And the baby?"
"Your evidence is right inside her. He raped her and got her pregnant. She loves that baby and won't say it."
"Where is she?"
19 Years Ago – Max & Lucas
Max giggled, as he took her hand as they ran and ducked under the bleachers together. "Oh, what is happening?"
"Did you want to go to another pep rally?"
She shook her head, and felt more mature than her 14 years. Forbidden, she thought, breaking the rules. "I always have more fun with you."
Lab partners, a hamburger date, he thought, talking to her. Her friends don't like me…no they see me as a novelty. I like her. Girls like this don't go for guys like me…do they? "I really like you."
"I like you too."
He brushed her hair back, smiling as he did looking at his dark hand on her pale cheek. "We're friends."
She nervously wrapped her arms around his neck and moved close to him. "Can we be more than friends?"
He nodded. "Yeah. Will you be my girlfriend?"
"Yes."
Smiling he kissed her for the first time and inwardly cheered when she kissed him back.
Present – Jill's Office
"Is he okay?"
"Are you?" Jill asked. "Have you been crying?"
Just a gush of tears, Max thought, and I walked out on Kenny. I'd do anything to make him happy, to be us again, but not this. "I'm fine. Is Lucas ready?"
"Max."
"I got him a hotel room, a more secure one," she said. "And picked up his prescription. Is there anything else?"
Oh, Max, she thought, what are you doing? "What is going on with the two of you?"
"Nothing. Just this," she said, touching her stomach. "This is enough."
"He was asking for you."
Max gulped, as she followed her into the examine room. "Hey."
"Hey, Darlin," he said with a weak smile and wincing. "Aren't you a sight for sore eyes."
"Oh, Luc," she sighed, her heart breaking at his splinted nose, black eye and swollen lip. She crossed the room to him and touched his face gently her thumb stroking the uninjured skin. "I'm so sorry."
"Don't you apologize for him."
Her gaze flicked up to his warm eyes, and saw that familiar twinkle that made her heart race. "Let me get you to bed."
"Is that an invitation?"
"You can hardly move," she sighed. "I got some food, water, your medication, and."
"No pills, Darlin."
She nodded, as he stood shakily. "Tylenol."
"And how is this?" he asked, laying his hand on her stomach. You're getting a belly under there."
She smiled at that, almost four-months she thought, our baby. "I know."
"Max," Jill interjected, a bit fascinated at the scene in front of her. They haven't taken their eyes off each other. "I want to see him in three days."
She looked at her friend suddenly very aware of their closeness, as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her in closer to him. Oh, I think I belong right here. No, I'm married and…I'm so screwed. "Okay."
Oh, Max, Jill thought, as she wrapped her arms around his waist and smiled at him. What are you doing?
19 Years Ago – Max & Lucas
Max kissed him in the school parking lot, before taking his hand in hers. "Hi."
"I thought your parents forbid you to come with me."
She kissed her boyfriend of three months before pulling back. "They think…they think we broke up."
He looked at her for a long moment. "Why do they think that, Darlin?"
"They were on my case…going on and on about how you're no good. I couldn't listen to them anymore and…I didn't care if they grounded me forever. I told them fine…I want to be with you. I can't keep listening tell me…"
"You can say it. I've heard worse."
She shook her head as he gathered her close to him. "Because you're black and poor."
"You don't think I hear that every day from people?"
"They're my parents and…I love you."
He grinned at that, kissing her again. "I love you too. Are you sure you want to go to this dance?"
Max shook her head, as they stayed wrapped around each other. "I'll go anywhere with you."
"Come on," he said, tugging on her hand. "Run away with me tonight?"
"Anytime."
Present – Hotel
"You look good."
Max looked up from where she was putting his stuff away. "You always think I look good."
"You do."
"Do you want me to toss these?" she asked, pulling out the pill bottle. "I wasn't thinking."
"They are the second most tempting thing in this room, Darlin."
She looked back at him, as she made her way to the bathroom and flushed them. "You can't keep saying these sweet things to me."
"You're the mother of my child. Let me flatter you."
"I love being pregnant. To have our baby growing in me and…I've never felt more…feminine than I do now."
"You're glowing."
"And getting fat. I'm going to waddle, Luc."
"Ah, you're adorable knocked up."
"Why didn't we use protection?"
He looked at her with that one. "Max, come on."
"The first time we did and…"
"Come here," he said, holding out his hand to her and tugging her down on the bed with him. "Are we going to be honest?"
"Aren't we always with each other?"
"I stopped being honest with you a long time ago."
"What?"
He combed through her long hair. "I never wanted you to leave. I wanted you at State with me, I wanted to marry you the day you turned 18, I wanted you to stay in Vermont after you graduated…and I knew I had to get it together for you. I stopped dealing, I went back to school, I bought the bar," he said, his gentle fingers on her. "I made myself better for you."
"Lucas."
"Letting you go was the worst mistake I ever made."
"I would have stayed."
"I would have made you Mrs. Cooper."
She smiled at that. "I used to write that on my notebooks."
He pressed his swollen lips to her forehead. "Why didn't we use birth control? You tell me."
She looked at him with that. "I wanted to get pregnant."
"I want you and our baby with me. I love you, it's always been you."
She looked at him for a long moment, a little unsure of what she was feeling. "Lucas, I…"
"Pack a bag. Come with me, Darlin."
19 Years Ago – Max and Lucas
Max lay snuggled up next to him in his bed, both in shock and awe at what they just did. It hurt, she thought, just a little down there. She rested her head on his chest, tracing random patterns on his dark skin with her finger tips. "Luc?"
He caught her hand in his, tilting her face up to his. Still the prettiest girl in school, he thought, there were tears…I saw tears. "Did I hurt you?"
She shook her head at that. "Never. Not you…just…first time pain."
He kissed her, as they lay looking at each other in the dim light. I don't want us to change, he thought, I want her to keep looking at me like she is right now. "Do you want to do it again?"
She nodded, as his gentle fingers continued to explore her bit by bit. "Yes. Can we…can we eat first? I'm really hungry."
"Pizza?"
Present – Sheriff Station
She was very drunk, Jimmy thought, looking at the videos of that night. I've never seen Max that wild…or happy. Dancing, smiling, having fun…With Lucas Cooper lurking in the background. Smiling at her, watching her…he's comping her drinks. She knows he's watching her, she's smiling over her shoulder at him. Max, who just went off the radar after she walked out. Kenny doesn't know where she went, but…how does she know Lucas Cooper? Raped…
"How is your patient?" he asked, looking up to see Jill walking into his office.
Max smiling at him, very content, Jill thought, he's reeling her in. This baby, their history, she's putty in his hands. She's going to throw her marriage and life away. "I released him."
"Where?"
"Some hotel. They didn't say which one."
"They? Who picked him up?" Jimmy said, fearing he knew who. "Was it Max?"
"They're old friends."
"Kenny is claiming that Lucas Cooper raped her. Looking at these videos…she was very drunk the night he claims it happened."
"And what does Max say?"
"She bolted before we could ask her. She picked him up? How did she seem?"
"He calls her Darling. She has a past with him. Whatever happened with them…she doesn't seem like she considers it rape. She seemed very concerned about him."
"The baby is his. Kenny called it the evidence."
Lucas touching her stomach, Max smiling as he held her close to him. Them holding hands as they walked to her car. Him brushing her hair back and saying something to make her laugh before he let her go. She's having an affair… "She certainly doesn't think it's rape. Jimmy, I think they're…I think they're in love with each other."
Present – Hotel
"I can't just," she started, his gentle fingers on her face. "I have a life here. A job. Responsibilities. Friends. A failing marriage."
"You have me and our kid in you. Come with me."
"Just run away and," she said softly. "And do what?"
"Run the bar with me. Own it with me. Raise this baby and the others we're going to have. Marry me, Darlin."
She held his gaze, as they wrapped themselves together the best they could with his injuries. "It's not that easy, Lucas. Damn it."
"Ignore it," he said to her buzzing phone. "Look at me."
She kissed his cheek, snugging in closer to him. "I can't. It's Jimmy Brock and I bailed this morning and…sorry. Hello?"
"Where are you, Deputy?"
"Why?"
"Max, where?" Jimmy said. "Are you with Lucas Cooper?"
She looked up at him. "Yes."
"I need a statement from you on him. On Kenny's claims."
A victim or a whore, Max thought, those are my choices in this town. I ruined my marriage, I'm pregnant by my ex, who I can't stay away from. "Kenny is full of it. I went to bed with Lucas willingly. It wasn't rape."
"Max, we have video. You were very intoxicated."
She reached across and squeezed his knee, smiling up at him. "I can be there in 10 minutes. I'm just down on Belmont."
"I'll give you 20."
"Everything okay?"
"Kenny made a statement that you raped me," she said quietly. "I'm going to clear it up. Luc, lie back, get some rest."
"Raped you? Like he knows anything about you and me."
She shook her head. Magic, she thought, chemistry…a connection runs deep. She leaned in, kissing him one more time and stroking his cheek. "Lie back…close your eyes and I'll be back before you can miss me."
"I love you, Darlin," he smiled, before he froze and collapsed on the bed.
TBC - Final chapter up this weekend...it'll be a doozy.
